Sole for boots and shoes



Sept. 25, 1928. 1,685,538 A. A. GLIDDEN ET AL SOLE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES Filed July 22, 1927 Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

SOLE FOR BOOTS .AND SHOES.

Application led July 22, 1927. Serial No. 207,790.

This invention relates to an improvement in soles for boots and shoes. f

The object of the invention is to provide a rubber sole for boots and shoes, and particularly a sole for a molded rubber boot,

which will be impervious to nails or other sharp articles which might penetrate the sole and cause injury to the foot of the wearer. This object is attained by embodying in a rubber sole a flexible metallic layer or layers so constructed and arranged within said sole that they will be firmly bonded therein and the flexibility of the sole retained.

The invention consists in a sole for boots and shoes as set forth in the following specification and particularly as pointed out in the claim thereof.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 represents a plan view of a sole embodying our invention, a portion thereof being broken away and exposing a metallic layer which is located within said sole.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the layers of material comprising the sole before said|layers have been compressed together.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the finished sole as taken onthe line 3-3 of Fi l.

ig. 4 is a of a sole illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention, a portion of said sole being broken away and exposing a perforated plate which is located therein.

Fig. 5 is a vertical line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6- is a plan view of a portion of a sole illustrating another our invention,

roken awa plate locate Fig. 7' is a vertical section taken on the line 2-' of Fig. 6.

Like numerals refer to like parts through- 45 out the several views of the drawings In the drawings, referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 inclusive, '8 represents a sole embodying therein a lower layer of rubber 9 and an upper layer of rubber 1f), between which section taken on the a portion'ofsaid sole being to expose a perforated metal therein.

metal plate ll. The ayers of rubber 9 and 10'extend for the full length of the sole 8, while the metallic layer 11 extends from the front of the sole to a point adjacent to the plan view of the front portion i modified embodiment ofy front of the heel portion thereof only, al-

or `a narrow marginal n the process of forming the sole the metallic plate 11, which ma be of any thin metal, which, furthermore, may be plated with any suitable substance to inbe trapped therebetween and to force the layers of rubber tightly against the metal plate.

he superimposed layers are then molded and vulcanized to form a completed sole as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Itis evident that the sole of this invention may be utilized as an outer sole for all types of boots and shoes, said sole being attached to the upper/ of a shoe by any well-known method, or the sole may be employed as an inner sole, in which case it may be inserted shoe in the usual wellknown manner, and when so employed, it is evident that it will protect the foot against nails or other pointed articles, which, if stepped upon, might penetrate the outer sole of the shoe and injure the foot of the wearer.

In Figs. 4 and 5 we have illustrated a modified embodiment which a sole 12, formed by the process hereinbefore mentioned, embodies therein a lower layer of rubber 13 and an upper layer of rubber 14, between which is a metal plate l5 provided with a plurality of perforations 16 regularly spaced apart over its entire surflexible, izing operation the rubber upon the opposite sur aces of said plate penetrate said perforations, and the upper and lower layers are thereby bonded together through said perforations. The perforations 16 are preferably so small that only the very smallest of nails can project therethrough.

'In Figs. 6 and 7 Still another modified embodiment of the invention is illustrated in which a sole 17 embodies therein a lower layer of rubber 18, an intermediate layer of rubber 19, and an upper layer of rubber 20. Between' the layers of rubber 18 and 19 a thin metal plate 21 is positioned and between the layers of rubber 19 and 2O another thin metal plate 22 is positioned. The plates 21 and 22 are provided With perforations 23 and 24 respectively, and said perforations are so spaced Within said plates that they will not align with each other in the completed sole. By so positioning the perforations the chance of a nail penetrating the sole is reduced to a minimum. In this form of our invention, during the process of vulcanizing the sole, the rubber upon the opposite sides of the plates 21 and 22 Will be forced through the perforations of said plates, thereby bonding the layers of rubber together.

Vhile wehave employed the term rub ber throughout the specification and claim,

We Wish `it distinctly understood that this term applies to all gum or rubber compounds, or to all compositions of materials having the qualities of rubber, and that are employed as substitutes therefor, and are the equivalents thereof.

We claim:

A sole for boots and Shoes having, in combination, a. body portion comprisingl a plurality of layers of rubber, and a plurality of perforated metal plates, with one plate between each of said rubber layers, the rubber of said layers being bonded together through said perforations, and the perfor-ations of adjacent plates being out `of alignment with .each other.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands.

ALFRED A. GLIDDEN. THOMAS M. KNOWLAND. 

